


Left behind

by 48je69



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Depression, Hurt/Comfort, Left Behind - Freeform, Louie Duck Needs a Hug, Parent Donald Duck, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:09:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29841321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/48je69/pseuds/48je69
Summary: "Della?""yes don?""Where is Louie?"Louie is left behind in an adventure, now he must survive the dangers of the jungle while fighting with his own mind, will his family make it on time?
Relationships: Della Duck & Donald Duck, Della Duck & Donald Duck & Louie Duck, Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck
Comments: 25
Kudos: 72





	1. introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I had this idea in my head for a few days, this first chapter is, short, just the introduction of what is to come. I am based on the Darien jungle, but this is absolute fiction, so do not expect accurate details to the reality of the original tribes of the area, I am giving myself artistic freedom with that.  
> I will publish this story in Spanish and English  
> tags may change later  
> PD: thanks to everyone who read and commented on my previous story, you make me so happy  
> Enjoy it

It was a typical trip for the Duck family  
Della decided to take her sons on an adventure to Central America, in search of the treasure of an ancient tribe in the area.  
It was said that centuries before the arrival of the Spanish to the area, the locals had already found their way to the gold mines that the jungle offered, using it for numerous ceremonial articles. Despite their differences, the tribes of the area had lived in harmony, working together to improve their lives without intervening in the customs of each other, unfortunately, that would not be forever, with the arrival of the conquerors the tribes were in the great dilemma of how to respond, while some were curious about the new visitors and were willing to meet them, others distrusted strangers and were determined to get them away from their lands as soon as possible, the confrontations were many and the deaths even more, some fighting strategies were intelligent, others downright macabre, but none worse than the Nikugé´s.  
They name came from the dialect of another tribe, it meant "demons" the name was so popular that everyone forgot the real name, because they really seem like demons, fast and cunning like jaguars, attacking from the shadows and killing their victims without mercy, setting traps deadly from which it was impossible to escape and using the most terrible poisons that the jungle had to offer, giving their victims slow and painful deaths. Their success was such that the conquerors left them alone, moving as far as possible from their area, trying to forget their existence and the horrors they had witnessed.  
Such was their cruelty that not only the Spaniards moved away, the tribes with whom they previously lived as brothers left them aside, frightened by the extremes to which the attacks had already reached, in their opinion, cowards, without facing the enemy of front, getting their death from the shadows, without giving them the opportunity to fight or defend themselves.  
Offended and bereaved, the Nikugés decided to go deeper into the jungle, abandoning their temples and treasures on their own and disappearing forever from the lives of the other inhabitants of the jungle and the world.  
They empty temples were not touched by anyone, neither the natives nor the settlers wanted to approach that cursed place, where so much evil had been born, the treasures were left aside and no one thought of approaching them in hundreds of years, where they were absorbed by the jungle and away from humanity forever.  
Except for the Duck family of course, Scrooge had wanted to make that trip a long time ago, but the money bin and its board of directors had his hands tied for such a long trip, so when Della said she was looking for an adventure to go alone with the triplets, he proposed to go in search of the lost treasure of the Nikugé.  
It was a standard journey for them, going deep into the jungle to find a time-forgotten treasure. They had to stray far from the touristy jungle trails, walking and sailing for days before finding their destination and the loot they sought. The treasure was great and wonderful, but terribly difficult to carry through the jungle, their journey back to the plane was three times longer than they thought and by the time they arrived the children fell into their seats.  
Della was just as tired, the journey was difficult, even for experienced adventurers like them, the jungle was a greater challenge than the moon, full of mysteries, wild animals and poisonous plants, with danger lurking around every corner, protected by the thicket of The trees, taking care of the children was an even greater psychological burden, no matter how skilled they were and how much she trusted them, she still cared, that was her job, so when they finally got to the plane, she felt more dead that live but, eager to get home and have a long, relaxing bath and sleep for three days in a row, she started the plane and drove straight to Duckburg.  
0o0o0o  
More than ten hours of flight later, Della had done, forget about the relaxing bath, she will sleep, all week if necessary, surely her brother will bring her breakfast in bed if she makes him puppy eyes so she will not have to get up again more than necessary.  
With that in mind, she exited the plane, yelling at the children to wake up and get off the plane, they could unload the treasure latter.  
She went down the stairs slowly, the kids behind her, still quite sleepy, and she began to walk towards the manor, in that she saw her brother, running excitedly to them, surely impatient to see his boys after so many days.  
"Hey Donnie!" she said with little energy, raising his arm in a half greeting, Donald returned thappy until he saw his boys and frowned, he spoke slowly and deliberately to his sister, trying to stay calm and reach the sleepy brain of his sister.  
"Della?"  
"Yes Don?  
"Where is Louie?  
Suddenly Della was wide awake.


	2. how did it happen?

Louie was done  
When her mother said she wanted to “have a mother-sons day” he thought she meant going out for ice cream or something, then when she said it was more of an adventure, he kept hoping it would be something simple, or not so terrible at least, he never hope, well, this.  
The trip was ridiculously long, the road took them away from any remotely habited area, taking them deep into the jungle, where the road was dense and complex, the long leaves of the trees and the dense foliage covered the sun, leaving areas completely dark. Only Huey's compass and his knowledge of survival had kept them on the road, or at less close to it.   
The trip through the rivers was different, they could see the sky without problem and the path was easy to follow, but there was a powerful feeling of vulnerability, they did not know what was in the depths of the water and they could not avoid the feeling of being observed from the distance, like prey at the mercy of whatever lurked on the shore, waiting for the right moment to strike.  
Louie spent the three days of travel just surviving, he did not know as much as Huey to guide or survive, he did not have the stubborn endless energy of Della or Dewey, his plans or schemes or his sharp words were of no use against poisonous plants or climbs through the hills, so he stayed as far as possible, following orders and not interfering too much, lost in his self-destructive thoughts and contributing with some sarcastic comment or some common sense, so they wouldn't forget that he was still there.  
By the time they reached the treasure, Louie had almost no interest in it, he was scratched, hungry, bitten by mosquitoes, hot and extremely tired, his feathers were sticky and wet and he was uncomfortable, just thinking about doing all that travel again, now carrying the treasure, it made him seriously think about just leaving it there.  
But they had already gotten there and no one was going to listen to him anyway, so he helped carry what he could, into the neatly folded bags and backpacks Huey had packed, and started his way back, dreaming of his bed and a pep.  
The way back was as bad as he expected, with the treasure and a shortage of safe places to camp, the journey was totally exhausting. The only good news was that they hardly encountered wild animals that wanted to eat them, Huey had warned everyone of the presence of jaguars, cougars, boas, foxes and a host of dangerous predators, but, to Dewey's disappointment, none of They tried to haunted them, according to Huey, it was because they were a large group of unknown creatures and predators prefer known or vulnerable prey, who walk alone through the jungle, to guarantee their success without the need to fight.  
So, the trip was totally exhausting and the mosquitoes almost ate them, but there were no serious injuries or escapes for their lives, as long as they were together, everything would be fine.  
Until it was not, Louie was walking a little behind the group, dragging his feet and hating every gram of gold he carried, his only relief was that they were very close to the jeep they had taken, there he would not have to walk anymore and the plane was only an hour away, soon he would be home, being spoiled by his uncle Donald and away from deadly insects and plants, he seriously thought about not leaving the sofa until the following month.  
So focused was he on it, that he didn't notice how far he was staying, or that dragging his feet made it easier to get tangled up in things, one minute he was walking and the next he was hanging on the edge of a hole fighting not to fall to the stones sharpened from below.  
"Eh ... guys" he asked doubtfully, panic starting to swirl in his stomach, he tried harder "guys! Huey! Dewey! Mom! ... anyone? HELP!!!" Nobody came and it was increasingly difficult to hold on, he looked down and could see skeletons of people and snakes, there was a lot of dust and a terrible smell, probably centuries ago it had been a trap, prepared to kill, but it had been abandoned, the snakes died and the vines that had grown around him had allowed him to hold on, even if they had covered the trap in the first place.  
Louie screamed again, asking for help from his family, but they never came and the truth is that he could not wait forever, he made an executive decision and released the treasure he was carrying, releasing weight and allowing him to hold on better.  
With some effort he managed to get out of the hole, relieved, he sat up and caught his breath, evaluating the damage.  
"Well, more scratches for my collection, Uncle Donal is going to freak out when he sees us, by the way, thanks for the help I didn't get" He looked up to see his brothers annoyed, but they wasn´t there.  
"Ha ha very funny, let's scare Louie, come out guys" he started looking around him, but no, his family wasn't there "guys?" he started walking, he could see the tracks that were moving away, too fresh to be someone else's "mom?" He knew he was not that far from the Jeep anyway, so he kept going, the adrenaline from the fall gave him some energy, but now he was more cautious with the road, afraid of falling again, when finally, finally! He got to where the car was, his fatigue had returned with force and he felt very annoyed, he furiously removed the last leaves that separated him from his destiny.  
“Did you really decide to leave me behind and wait for me in the car? I almost killed myself back there, I had to leave the treasure and there is no more site for scratches on my skin, what the hell did you think? " he yelled, eager to get in the jeep and finally rest, but there was nothing there  
Only the footprints that indicated that they had left without he  
0o0o0o0o  
"Della" Donald repeated again, slowly, to make sure his sister understood "where's Louie?"  
"Louie?" Della looked nervous and he didn't like that, he saw Huey and Dewey look around them in panic, that terrified him “he must be on the plane! Surely, he did not feel the landing and continues to sleep" starting to panic she ran back to the plane, looking for her son, the others following her closely" Louie? Louie !? ” Della sounded desperate, looking for Louie all over the plane, even under the seats, as wishing the child was playing hide and seek, she finally fell sitting, clutching her head in her hands, totally incredulous.  
"Oh god" Donald heard the voice of his older nephew, looked at him and could see a panic that reflected his own,in those eyes bathed in tears of guilt and disbelief "we left Louie behind"


	3. there is not time to lose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I am not very good at answering comments one by one, but thanks to all who commented, you made me very happy.  
> And don't worry, Louie will have his chance to give his family a bit of his mind.  
> Ah, by the way, in case you still didn't know, I don't speak English, not really, I'm Chilean, so please tell me when I make mistakes in translating, especially grammatical, if I'm wrong in Spanish, I don't want to imagine how it will be in English, so all critics are welcome  
> enjoy it!

Donald couldn't believe it

Well, he could believe it, that was the worst part.

His sister left her youngest son in the jungle, her sister left HIS boy alone in the jungle and she only realized it when they got to the mansion, who knows how many hours later.

Donald wanted nothing more than to break something, whatever, hopefully, everything he found, he wanted to yell at his sister everything he thought about her reckless attitudes and lack of concern for things, he wanted to yell at her for everything he had to live the ten years that she had been away, for losing his child, he wanted to do many things, but the main thing was to have his boy in his arms again, and none of the above would be productive for that.

He took a deep breath, he could do this, he had been a captain in the navy after all.

First, assess the damage, there was a lost child, alone in the jungle, at least ten hours away by plane, the closest pilot was on the verge of collapse, physically and mentally, and the plane needed maintenance. There were also his two remaining nephews, feeling scared, guilty, and exhausted, he could easily see the injuries from the trip, his anger rising again.

Ok, the second step, think of the best and worst scenario to make his goal. The best would be if Louie was waiting where the plane used to be or in the closest inhabited place, there they would only have to pick him up, the psychological damage they would treat later. The worst-case (the one he was willing to think about) was that, for one reason or another, Louie had wandered off the road and into the jungle, making necessary a search in the unfamiliar terrain.

The third step, prepare for the worst and assign tasks. If they had to go into the jungle, they would need food, water, flashlights, compasses, maps if possible, suitable clothing, and a way to communicate, if the terrain was too large, they would have to separate. They also needed to fuel the plane and see that it was fit to fly, they would need a pilot and responsible adults who could help.

Donald clasped his hands tightly, drawing the attention of Della and the kids "ok, we have to go get Louie and we will need help" he approached his nephews and put his hands on their shoulders, trying to comfort them "guys, I know this is hard but I need your help, Huey I need you to call Fenton or Dr. Gearloose and ask them for some artifact to help us communicate in the jungle or whatever can help that wouldn´t turn evil or be misunderstood or whatever, if he has something, bring it here immediately "Huey nodded, calmer with something to do, wiped away his tears and ran to make the call" Dewey listen to me "the duckling was still in shock, but he nodded to his uncle "go to the mansion and tell what happened to Webby and Mrs. B, I need them to help you collect supplies and clothes for the trip, we don't know how long it will take us to find your brother, so we have to be ready. ” Donald smiled at his nephew with Calm that did not have "everything will be fine Dewey" the duckling nodded and ran towards the mansion, which left Donald alone with his twin.

"Della, I need ..." he was interrupted by a broken sob from his sister, they didn't have time for this "Della listen to me, I need you to prepare the plane for the trip, now"

"I can't believe it Don, I left my child again, I left him alone and he could be dead" Donald shuddered "my own son could be dead and it's my fault," she said quietly, hugging herself, Donald felt his anger going up again, he would need his therapist when this was all over

"Della, I don' have time for this, help with what I asked or don't get in the way" his sister looked at him surprised "I can't be soft now Della, Louie is in danger, we have to be ready as soon as possible, I'm going to call Scrooge ”And with that, he left his sister alone on the plane

0o0oo

Huey was disappointed in himself

When his uncle noticed that Louie was not there, it was as if he had hit him in the stomach, they had left his brother alone thousands of miles from their home, they had abandoned him, they left him alone at the mercy of predators and hunger.

And the worst thing that he did not even notice, he, the responsible older brother, had always known that his place was to take care of his siblings and make sure their safety and happiness, and now he did not even notice that his little brother was not by his side, where he was supposed to be.

Long ago he had told Louie that everything would be fine as long as they were together, it was his golden rule and he had broken it without realizing it.

He ran into the mansion, his cell phone had run out of battery, not that it was very useful in the jungle anyway, and he reached a phone in the mansion, took out his JWG to look up Fenton's number, and stopped. How he was going to explain to his friend what had happened? How was he going to admit to one of his heroes that he was such a big brother disaster? He suddenly felt nauseous, he couldn’t do it.

He was about to go back to the plane when his uncle entered

"what happened, Huey?" His uncle asked him and he could only look down in shame, he felt Donald approach and crouch next to him “Huey? Huey look at me” but he couldn't, he had failed not only his brother, but also his uncle, he couldn´t see those disappointed eyes directed at him“ Huey ”his uncle slowly raised his head, his eyes are calm, maybe something tired, but showed no anger or disappointment "take a deep breath and tell me what happened" Huey did exactly that

"Uncle Donald How do I tell Fenton what happened? He's going to be disappointed in me ”his uncle sighed and put his hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes“ Huey I know it's difficult, but we all make mistakes, the important thing is to admit them, that allows us to fix and improve them ”Donald stroked his head, comforting him "being responsible does not mean having everything controlled and perfect, it is facing the consequences when we make mistakes and not letting difficulties prevent us from doing what we have to do" his uncle gently brought him close to his chest and he melted in his touch, releasing his tears "What happened is terrible, but you are still a child, it is not your fault" Huey sobbed, Donald squeezed him harder "the important thing now is to do everything possible to find your brother, you can apologize to when we find him. ”Huey took a more determined breath and ran back to the phone, dialing Fenton's number.

"Hey Fenton, it's Huey"

"Oh hey Huey what's up?"

Huey sigh, it was still not easy to say “we have a problem, I, well, we went on an adventure with mom and well, hey, I don't know when it happened, or how, but we left Louie there”. Fenton gasp across the line

"B-but how? When? How I can help?" Huey sighed

“I don't know, I don't know how it happened, I still can't explain it to myself, but the important thing now is to find it and I need your help.” I take a deep and continuous breath. something that allows us to communicate in case we separate "

"I'll see what I can do"

0o0o0o

Webby was very happy

He had missed the boys a lot, of course, he had spent a lot of time with the rest of his family and had visited Lena and Violeta, but it was not the same, the boys were like his brothers and it was strange to be if they. He would have wanted to go, but he knew that it was important that the boys had time alone with her mother, they had lost her for 10 years, it was only fair to give them their space from time to time.

She was working on her scrapbook when she heard the plane, she jumped excitedly and thought to go right away to say hello, but she was covered in glitter and glue, the guys were going to be mad if she filled them with glitter too, so she showered as much Quick as he could and changed his clothes, then ran down the stairs, meeting his grandmother downstairs.

"Hi grandma" I greet happily, being received with a smile

"Webby, darling, I have told you many times not to run up the stairs" her grandmother scolded her affectionately, she just smiled "I was about to go look for you to go greet the boys, I thought you had not heard them arrive"

“I did, but I had a battle with glitter and some glue and they won the first round, so I had to change my clothes. But it doesn't matter, let's go! " she started to run excitedly when she opened the door and a very distressed Dewey appeared, she stopped in her tracks, scared "Dewey, what happened?"

Dewey was fiddling with his hands, fidgeting, that wasn't a good sign. "We have a problem, we left Louie behind." Webby felt his heart stop, then she giggled nervously.

"Ha ha very funny Dewey, don't joke about those things" she started, but Dewey looked at her and she felt her tears begin to form, she looked at her angry grandmother "granny, tell her she doesn't joke with those things" she just looked at her with pity and put a hand on his shoulder "Dewey that's not possible How could they leave it behind?" She felt hurt and she wasn't sure why, it wasn't her who had been left alone in a dangerous jungle, but she felt that way, Dewey just kept moving nervous, her grandmother intervened.

"Dewey tell us what happened" the duckling took a deep breath

"I don't know" Dewey began to freak out "I have no idea! I didn't even notice it was missing until we got here! " then he started sobbing, Webby's chest tightened “I don't know what happened, but we have to go for him, we have to find my brother! And I need his help, Uncle Donald said we have to gather supplies, he said it may take us a while to find him and we have to be ready. "

"Of course honey, Webby, go get some boxes, we have to be quick" Webby was still confused, confused, and absolutely sad, she still didn't know why exactly, or why she was so upset with Dewey if she still didn't know all the details, if you knew that regardless of what Had it happened, Dewey hadn't wanted to forget Louie.

But that was the voice of his grandmother's agent, the one that had taught him to obey orders and carry out complex missions, the one that told him how bad the situation was and the need to act quickly and efficiently, so he wiped away his tears and She ran out to do what they asked her to, not once looking at Dewey.

0o0o0oo0o

Scrooge was exhausted

He hated his stupid meetings with his board of directors, hated his eagerness to make him give up his adventures and his expensive and risky lifestyle.

But they did not understand, they did not know how rewarding it was to venture, live the risk and get out of the impossible alive, they did not see the importance of challenging everything and getting ahead.

And doing it with his family was better since the triplets entered his life and gave him back his thirst for adventure, he felt more alive, happier, and with an energy that he had not had since Della had disappeared.

Of course, his board of directors did not care and he only had to listen to them, pretending to pay attention while he planned the next adventure, he knew that Della and the children would be back soon and they could all go out together, maybe if he played his cards well he would even succeed for Donald to join. His nephew was stubborn, but he could be, too, and he knew Donald well enough to know what buttons to push.

He smiled, yes, he could convince Donald, and that way he would also have an expert sailor, he had wanted to go to some distant islands for a long time, but most of the sailors refused to approach its waters because they were very dangerous, but his nephew could do it. No problem.

With that in mind, I waited impatiently for his board of directors to shut up once so that he could leave, suddenly there was a knock on the door, that surprised him, no one used to interrupt a meeting like this, "between" he saw his secretary enter shyly

"Miss Chien, what does this interruption mean?" growled Bradford, Scrooge could see the rotten girl shudder

"I am very sorry sir, but there is a man on the phone, he is not understood much but he made it clear to me that he needs to speak to Mr. McDuck immediately" Bradford growled again "I know they all say the same thing, but he said it is his nephew and if he could not talk to him, he would let him know that he was going to knock down his mansion ”there Scrooge got up, he assumed it was Donald on the phone when the girl said that he spoke strangely but if it was him, it was not normal for him to be so aggressive with a girl he didn't even know, it wasn't normal for him to call him either, so he went to answer the phone, ignoring Bradford's complaints

"Hello?"

"Scrooge, Della, Huey and Dewey came back, they forgot Louie there" she felt her breath escape, she tried to speak, but Donald wouldn't let her "I don't know what happened, but we have to go get him, the boys are looking for equipment and supplies, I need you to come home now, and bring Launchpack with you, Della has not rested for a long time and we need a pilot ”and with that he hung up, leaving him with the words in his mouth.

He stood still trying to process the information, something that hadn't happened to him since Selene's spear, and went over the facts in his head. Donald called him at his office, Donald said Della and the kids were back, no, delete that, he said Della, Huey and Dewey were back, a duckling was missing.

And that was Louie, the little, cunning and calm Louie was alone who knows where and who knows in what conditions everything because he incited Della to embark on a dangerous adventure without thinking about the children she had to take care of, again.

He had lost a member of his family again in a dangerous and unknown place, if something happened to the little one it would be his fault and he could not bear it, not again.

In addition to the unfathomable pain of losing Louie, he knew that Donald would never forgive him, he would take the children again and he would be alone again, probably Beakley would take Webby too, to take her away from danger and he would lose everything again.

No, he was not going to allow it, he was not going to lose another member of his family without a fight, he would go step by step through every inch of the jungle if necessary! He was going to find the lad even if it cost him his life, he is Scrooge Mcduck! And nothing was going to stop it

"Miss Chein!" I yelled at his secretary, she jumped in his place "call Launchpack and tell him to wait for me at the vault door, right now" then he went back into the meeting room. Where Bradford looked at him angrily, as always "I'm going on a trip and not when I'll be back" and with that he turned around, ignoring the shouts of protest from his partners and went down to where Launchpack was waiting for him. I quickly get into the limo

"Hey mister McD, he left early today"

"We have a problem Launchpack" he watched his driver get serious, for once "we are going to the jungle"

The way to the mansion was quiet and fast, when they arrived, Donald and Beakley were gathered around the plane, ordering bags and boxes, they prepared to leave, Donald approached him.

"We are almost ready to leave" he saw his nephew take a deep breath, something told him that his nephew had done a lot today "the children are getting ready to leave, we already have all the equipment, we just need the plane to be ready, I hope Launchpack can take care of that "

"He's already on it" she felt sorry for his nephew, but had to ask "Donald, what happened?" his nephew ran her hands over his head, dropping feathers, it seemed that this was going to kill him “I have no idea, I don't want to pressure the children to tell me, they are already distressed enough, but Della doesn't help, you know? You try it, I'll give up, I'll see how the boys are. ”He and Beakley looked at each other and she pointed to a far side of the garden, where Della was sitting.

"Della lass What-"

"I have no idea Scrooge" he looked at her annoyed, but she did not let him speak "I have been reviewing the last hours of travel in my head and I can not see at what point we lost it" she ran her hands over her head and he could only think about how they were going to have two bald ducks at home "I don't know when I lost my own son, anything could have happened to him and I didn't realize it"

"What did you do before taking the plane back?" they were going to have to reconstruct what happened step by step, Della sighed

“We got up early in the morning, I don't know the time, but it was starting to dawn, we ate some cereal bars and started walking towards the jeep that we rented, it took us about 8 hours to get there, then I drove a little over an hour until the plane and we leave right away

"Okay, girl, go back, what happened in those 8 hours on the way? Did they rest somewhere, stop to eat, something? " Della sighed again, exasperated

"No, none of that, I wanted to go home soon, the boys seemed to be keeping up with me well"

"Lass ..."

“Yeah, I know what you're going to say! I should have stopped to rest, I should have made sure the boys ate and got enough rest, god, I should have at least seen that they were all three in their chairs before starting the damn engine and leaving one of my babies alone and scared in an unknown jungle thousands of miles from home "she sobbed" I am a disaster Scrooge, Donald always warned me of my absolute lack of limits and I never listened to him, and it was not enough for me to lose myself 10 years in space, no, I had to put to my children and lose one of them too ”she cried hysterically, Scrooge was hurt, but before I could comfort her I hear Launchpack announce that the plane was ready

"Come on girl" he helped her to get up carefully, wiping her tears "we will talk later, now we will find our boy"

Della followed him to the plane slowly, preparing for the horrible journey that awaited them. "


	4. they left me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you very much to all!  
> I have received more comments than I expected and they really make me happy  
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
> warnings: panic attack

Louie couldn't believe it  
Well he could believe it, that was the worst  
His family had left him, left him behind, alone.  
But they were coming back for him, right? They couldn't ignore his absence for long, right? Surely they have already noticed it and turned to pick him up ... right? Or maybe Huey and Dewey fell asleep in the car and his mother was concentrating on driving, so they wouldn't notice it until they got to the plane, but then they must notice that he was missing and would run back for him! Yes, that´s it, he did not have to worry, they would come back for him, they were not going to delay  
Or could they not notice it? What if they really didn't notice that he was lost and left him alone in that jungle for days? He couldn't survive that long, he didn't have anything with him, everything was in the backpack with the treasure he had just thrown away, in his hoody he only had a mini flashlight, a dagger and half a cereal bar, that wouldn't do much to predators and hunger.  
He started crying, terrified, we've already spent several minutes and no one was coming back, what if we left him behind on purpose? It was something very possible, so his brothers would no longer have to deal with their useless little brother, Dewey would stop being the middle brother and his mother would be left with only two perfect children, she shouldn´t have to worry about the evil son who didn´t love her yet.   
Yes, that made a lot of sense, even if they wouldn´t lose him on purpose, they could use the opportunity, they could say that there was an accident, anything and that he had not made it, they could even say that it was a wild animal and so they couldn't even come to look for the remains.  
Oh no, Louie realized, looking around in panic, he was alone now, he was ridiculously easy prey for any predator, his white feathers, though heavily spotted, were an easy target in the green of the jungle, and besides, he was full of scratches, a predator could smell the blood and the fear of a wounded prey left to its fate, they were going to kill him.  
He cried louder, hugging himself, this reminded him once, years ago, that he lost at the shopping center, a guard found him crying and took him aside, where they called his uncle through the loudspeakers, the guard kept telling him that his Uncle was going to show up soon, but he wouldn't stop crying, convinced that he would never see his family again.  
The fear was similar to that time, of being alone, but the situation was very different, that time his uncle came running after a few minutes, drowning him in a desperate hug, begging him for forgiveness, then his brothers hugged him too and took him from both hands for not to lose him again, his uncle took them to buy ice cream and he assured the three of them that they should not be afraid, that he would always look for them, he would not let them get away from him, his brothers joined in that promise, They said they would always be together so nothing bad would happen to them  
At that time he believed his family and felt safe, he knew that his uncle would always find him, no matter how difficult it was and that his brothers would always be by his side, now he didn't feel so sure.  
The triplets have been far apart since they arrived at the manor, before they did everything together, just the three of them, now each one has his interests and since they met many people, his brothers are no longer obliged to be with him. His uncle is no longer the only one in charge of them and is thousands of kilometers from him, something that five years before was absolutely impossible.  
He felt like it was hard to breathe, he would never see his Uncle Donald again, or Scrooge or Webby or anyone else, no more fights with his brothers, no hot fudge and pancakes, no family adventures, he would never get a fucking hug again.  
Fear began to consume him, there was no way he would survive here and what would he do it for? he didn´t want to live in a stupid jungle alone for the rest of his life, he had no Tarzan vocation, he didn't want to have it, he didn't want to live knowing that his family was better without him.  
The pain in his chest increased, the air was missing and his heart was pounding in his ears, he was very afraid, maybe he would not have to wait for a wild animal, maybe he would die of a heart attack.   
He tried to breathe, he really tried, but he felt that he couldn´t, he felt his vision blur and his body tremble, god his chest hurt, he felt a pang in his heart and taking a deep breath made it worse, but shallow breathing only increased the tremors and he was starting to get dizzy, he tried to remember what his uncle or Huey had told him to do, it was difficult, but he remembered something about focusing on the environment.  
Ok, he could do that, if he looked around he could see trees, very tall trees with green leaves and thin trunks, he also saw mud and he could feel it on his feet and smell the clean air, he could also hear many things, even though his desperate heartbeat, could also hear the noise of the wind and a nearby river and the song of many little birds returning to their nests, it was already sunset.   
It took him a while to begin to calm down, he had to think with a clear head, panic was not helping him, he had to be rational, as much as he did not deserve it, his family had told him that they loved him, maybe he wouldn´t have a good relationship with Della but even if she decided to leave without him and Dewey wouldn't question it, Huey wouldn't let him, and even if he did, his Uncle Donald would come for him, even if they told him he was dead, he would want to see it for himself.  
The truth is that deep inside him, he knew that his family would not abandon him, that they loved him very much, as much as he loved them, but he did not know why it was so difficult to believe it, he didn´t know why his mind kept telling him that he was alone because he deserved it, because his family didn't love him, he wanted to tell that part of him to shut up, that he didn't need those kinds of thoughts and that his family had never really made him doubt his love, but God, he couldn´t stop thinking about it.  
And now, alone in the silence of the jungle, it was even more difficult to ignore his mind and his pessimistic thoughts, maybe if there was a little more noise or movement in the jungle he could think on something else.  
Wait, no noise  
A few seconds ago there was a lot of noise and movement around him, and now it was as if everything had stopped, something was wrong.  
Louie began to walk, slowly, away from the path, towards the river, maybe if he crosses it, the eyes of the predator that he now felt on his back would leave him alone.  
He began to walk faster and faster, feeling a new fear running through him, he did not want to die like that, he didn´t want the only thing his family found to be his remains, he did not want to die without a fight.  
He started to see the river when he felt the sudden movement behind him, he jumps to the side, taking only a scratch and finally could see his attacker.  
It was an adult jaguar, with big and cunning green eyes, his fur gleamed despite the darkness that was beginning to consume them, in another situation, Louie would have marveled at the beauty of it.  
But now, he was dinner so didn't have time for that, normally an adult would have to stay still and try to look bigger, making noise and throwing objects to scare the jaguar, but he was too small and that wouldn't work, running wasn't the best option either, he could only advance a few meters before the jaguar caught him.  
But maybe a few meters were all he needed.  
So he risked everything and slowly he crouched down, without losing eye contact with the animal a few meters from him, and took some small rocks, then, with all his strength, he threw them at the jaguar and began to run as fast as he could towards the river.  
The stones only gave him little more than a second, but it was all he needed, without stopping to think, he threw himself into the river, letting the strong current carry him away from the hungry predator.  
Going deep into the jungle.  
0o0o0o0  
Dewey hated silence, almost as much as being still.  
Never has a family trip been like this, there were always conversations and laughter, even fights, but there was always something.  
Now there was only deafening silence and so much tension in the air that he could cut it with a knife, he hated it.  
He was a man of action, he needed to act, for that he was good, where Huey studied to be prepared and Louie analyzed from the shadows he jumped into action, that's why he hated silence, it forced him to think and thinking hurt.  
It hurt because it allowed him to analyze the situation and realize how terrible it was, made him accept that his little brother might be dead.  
They had left him alone in an extremely dangerous place, they had forgotten him, Louie would never forgive him and he shouldn't, Dewey doubted that he could ever forgive himself.  
Louie was his younger brother, his partner, a third of himself, it was assumed that the three of them would always be together, it is true that with the arrival of his mother they fought more often, but he continued to love him the same as before and he had promised to protect him always.  
He had failed and although he did not like to think, he was not a fool, he knew the dangers that were in the jungle and the great possibility that his brother was dead, but he could not give up, he had to try to get him back.  
Because Louie, unlike him, was intelligent, cunning, observant and knew how to adapt, he could survive, he knew that Louie can, he just had to hold on until they came for him.  
And the more time passed he could only pray that Louie would continue to hold on and pray to every god he had had the honor of meeting to protect his brother and allow them to arrive on time.


	5. tomorrow we start to act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! sorry for the delay, I started classes and everything got a bit complicated, but here is the chapter, this is somewhat slow, in the next we jump into action.  
> by the way, I saw the end of ducktales and I can only say that I'm in shock and I don't know what to do with my life  
> Thank you very much to all who are reading this story and commenting on it, they make me very happy  
> enjoy

Donald had to keep calm  
The flight in the Sunchaser would be long, it was not a jet or anything like that and it had seen better times, speed was not its strong suit.  
He made a mental note to tell Scrooge to restore it when they got home or to buy a new one, a faster and less damaged one.  
Maybe he could convince him to give a plane to Dewey when he turned 18, after all, he did it with Della.  
Della, Donald didn't even want to see her, this was her fault, Louie was lost because of her irresponsibility and incompetence.  
But he was going to need her, if they had to separate and search in groups Della would have to be awake and alert, he couldn't risk her getting hurt too.  
So after starting the flight, he approached her with a glass of water and food, he also offered her some sleeping pills. Della didn't want them, but he insisted.  
"I can't sleep while my son is lost"  
"Because he is lost is why you need to sleep, I need you alert when we start looking" she didn´t protest anymore and soon after she fell asleep, the trip had taken all her energy.  
She was asleep now, looking defeated, the children were sitting in silence, Webby was leaning on Scrooge who was staring at the window, everyone was sad and tense.  
The only one who was active was Beakley, who decided to order the provisions by person, they could not travel with much weight, but everyone should have food, water and a way to communicate at least.  
After a few hours, Donald decided it was time to start acting, so he approached the boys with the medicine cabinet to heal their wounds, maybe he could collect information in the process  
"Hey kids" they hardly recognized him, it hurt him to see the pain and defeat in the usually happy eyes of his nephews, he approached Dewey first, he knew that he was the most prone to injuries and began to cure them. "Huey, can you tell me about the jungle we're going to? I need to know what we're up against"  
Huey took his DWJ out of his hat with trembling hands, Donald assumed that it was more out of habit than out of necessity “it is a jungle of more than 575,000 hectares, most of it uninhabited and unexplored, its vegetation is very dense and there are many very dangerous species, influencing jaguars, crocodiles, poisonous snakes, boas constrictors and mosquitoes "the boy seemed again on the verge of tears and made his uncle's throat close, he wanted nothing more than hug his nephew and tell him that it was not necessary to continue, but he needed to know as much as possible "tell me more Huey, are there tribes, rivers, any routes? Where did you go? " Wow, Dewey had more injuries than he thought and he was just noticing the tight, knee-high boots the kids were wearing, hopefully Beakley packed for everyone.  
Huey sighed “The vegetation is so dense that this is the only point where the highway that connects the entire American continent is interrupted. There are many rivers, a couple navigable, some rapids, it is a place with a lot of rain, which makes the terrain unstable and the weather heavy, it's very hot all the time. The local tribes usually live on the banks of the turquoise river, but we went to another sector, there is a hill where it is said that most of the tribes were born and later distributed through the jungle. "  
Huey scanned his guide a bit more, searching for the map he had drawn.  
“Near the highway, there are a couple of towns, there is a lot of traffic of migrants and armed groups, but we hardly saw them, we left the plane where the hill ends to the south and we moved as far as we could towards the hill by car From there we walked about three days to the south-east where we found the Nikugé temples, who apparently took refuge much further east, in the most unknown areas of the jungle. ” Huey closed his book and sank into his seat, Donald finished with Dewey and leaving to Huey, the duckling didn't have as many injuries as his brother, but it needed to be treated, just like the bites on his bare arms.  
"Dewey, do you remember when was the last time you saw your brother?" the duckling shook his head "come on Dew, try to remember" Dewey concentrated as hard as possible  
"I don't know Uncle Donald, by the last day of the trip we were already very tired, the three days to go to the temple became longer with the treasure and tiredness" Dewey curled up more in his chair, defeated "I remember that night we slept at the edge of the hill, it was not long before we reached the car, but it seemed eternal "  
"I remember that that night we almost forgot to spread the repellent for snakes and mosquitoes, we didn't even light a fire" full Huey "and in the morning we had a hard time picking up the repellent balls because we put them in without any order and it was still missing"  
“We ate some hard-cereal bars and drank some water, I remember Louie joking that if a predator came we could throw one of those bars at him like a stone and kill him or use them as a hammer "Dewey choked on a sob" I don't remember talking to him afterward. "  
"Did you walk all day without a break to the car?" Donald asked quietly, he did not want to scare his nephews by screaming, that was for his sister's when all this was over  
"Yes, mom said we could get to the car that same day and the truth is that neither of us wanted to spend another night in the jungle, I remember that at some point, hours before reaching the car, Louie got entangled with a vine and fell to the ground, I helped him up and we continued, I think that was the last time I saw him "Dewey looked at his uncle indecisively, as if he wanted to ask him something, but he did not dare, Donald noticed it but did not want to press him  
"Guys, we will find Louie," he said so confidently that even in their fear the children believed him "we are ducks, we do not back down" he smiled at his boys and pulled them into a hug "I love you, kids, don't forget it " He kiss their heads and help them settle into their seats, covering them with a blanket" try to rest, you will need energy when we land "  
Donald went to his seat thinking about the information he got from the boys and grabbed a map that Gyro gave him, it was a simple piece of paper and there weren't too many details, but it would do.  
Surely they could rule out the areas to the north of where they would leave the plane, there would be two large terrains, to the east and west, even in two groups it was impossible for them to travel everything if Louie did not appear they would have to call for help quickly.  
He had to think about how they were going to separate, it was important that the groups were efficient, everyone in his family was great adventurers, but each one has something different to contribute, that could be the difference between life or death of any of them.  
It was probably not a good idea for him to go with Della, in general, they were a great team, but now they are fighting, that would be a disaster, it would not be good for her to go with Scrooge either, the old man had been very quiet and calm, but it could be the calm before the storm, it was better that he also stays away from Della.  
On the other hand, Beakley could go with her, he knew that the ex-agent could give her sister some common sense and lead an expedition as difficult as that, she was also strong and resistant, she was the best to guide a team.  
And Della was not useless, not at all, that he was furious with her did not mean that he had forgotten what a good adventurer his sister is, she knows how to survive and is resistant, with Beakley guiding she could be a great help to find Louie.  
He and Scrooge understood each other in their own special way, they had gone on adventures for years and knew how to orient themselves, they would lack some of Beakley's strength, but that's what Launchpack is for.  
Then it would be Della and Beakley and Donald, Scrooge and Launchpack, the kids would be very useful too, but he would let them decide who they wanted to go with, the last thing he wanted was for the kids to have a bad time.  
Each would have to carry a compass, a watch, one of Gyro's satellite phones, food, water, a first aid kit, and suitable clothing - everything Beakley was preparing.  
he wishes none of that was necessary, he wishes Louie is safe and close to an inhabited place, waiting to contact them to return home, he wishes his duckling is fine and safe.  
But Donald knew better, he had been on numerous adventures, he had been a hero, a secret agent, a marine and had the worst luck in history, he knew it was better to be prepared for the worst, that had allowed him to survive.  
0o0o0o  
The water was dragging him away.  
The current of the river was strong and its waters murky, the darkness was not helping, Louie knew that he has to get out of the river soon and find a refuge, but he was not managing to hold on to anything to get out.  
It took a few minutes until he saw a branch strong enough to withstand his weight, he got ready and grabbed it to get out, it was hard for him, the current was strong and he could hardly see, but he finally succeeded.  
He came out of the water, soaked and totally terrified, now not only does he not know where the hell he is, but he is also more uncomfortable than before and he sees absolutely nothing in the total darkness of the jungle, the mist that hangs over him even covers the moon.  
"Ok this is bad" he checked his pockets, looking for the flashlight, he doesn't know how he didn't lose anything in the water, the little flashlight flashes and lights up, but it doesn't do much to illuminate his surroundings "if I get out of this, I'm going to demand Scrooge to buy something that lights up more than a damn firefly ”he started to move his flashlight to study his surroundings, he can see thin and tall trees, many plants, weeds and mud, he could not find a good place to sleep  
"Tomorrow I can make a shelter or something, but now I need to sleep, wherever" the long day was killing him, the adrenaline was the only thing that had kept him on his feet, but now he was wet, hungry and tired "I wish Huey hadn't been so protective with the repellants"  
Due to a large number of snakes, his brother took a repellent in pellets on the trip, that, together with the smoke from the fire, kept the snakes away from their camp during the nights, but Huey had been very protective of that, saying that they could not risk To forget little balls out there and then damage the environment, Louie sometimes hated how responsible his brother is.  
"I can't light a fire either" it's all wet around it and he doesn't have a match or lighter "it could climb a tree" they had few branches and they weren't 100% snake-proof, but was better than being on the ground so He started to climb the tree, not without rolling a couple of times on his way  
"I don't know why ... why the hell Dewey finds this funny," he said with an effort, he's so tired "oh phooey I've been alone for less than a day and I'm already talking to myself, I'm going ... I'm going to have to get a coconut or something and draw a face on him, maybe put cat ears or something "Louie finally reaches the highest branch that could still support his weight" yes, a coconut with a face and cat ears called fluffy, that will work "he took his hood and wrung it out. more possible, then snuggled tightly into her, dreaming of being a cat, feeling cuddled in the comfort of his home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember, reviews are love

**Author's Note:**

> ...


End file.
